The study of epidemiology and public health greatly contributes to the current understanding of the most serious health issues. It empowers medical professionals and community members to get to the root causes of the most pressing public health controversies. It also sets the stage for developing comprehensive strategies for effectively preventing and treating acute and chronic health conditions. The Internet is a rich source of reliable information about epidemiology and public health. Numerous websites are available to researchers and practitioners in healthcare and can advance their understanding of public health.
Defining Public Health
A quick web search has retrieved valuable information about epidemiology and public health. Based on the results of the website analysis, public health can be briefly defined as the whole spectrum of activities aimed to improve community health and protect community members from a diversity of health risks (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, n.d.; California Department of Public Health, n.d.) It incorporates all possible decisions and actions aimed to promote communities’ health and wellbeing, such as education, protection of communities from the risks of harmful exposures, easy and continuous provision of health services, and others (Pfizer, 2006). To sum up, public health is a broad and increasingly complicated field of science and practice, which allows specialists and community residents to work together to improve health at community, state, and country levels.
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Epidemiology Definition
As for epidemiology, its concept is intricately linked to that of public health. Different organizations provide different definitions of epidemiology. Generally, it can be defined as the study of disease occurrence, patterns and progression, as well as the causes and factors leading to illness (Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, 2012). Epidemiology and public health go hand in hand, since the former provides information needed to accomplish the latter. Simply stated, the data obtained through the study of disease epidemiology informs the development of more effective public health campaigns. Communities can hardly improve their health without possessing complete information about the disease risks they are facing. Epidemiology as the study of diseases allows communities to set effective priorities and target the most problematic health issues. Local health departments actively participate in the collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of useful information about public health.
Local Public Health Department
The Los Angeles public health department is the local department of choice. Its mission is to “protect health, prevent disease, and promote health and well-being in Los-Angeles County” (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 2016). The website of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health provides useful information about the current state of public health in Los Angeles and highlights the strategies it develops to alleviate the burden of the most prevalent health problems (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 2016). The website is rich in statistical information that relates to different aspects of public health and community action to prevent illness and promote healthy living. Readers can find information on the most prevalent diseases and conditions in Los Angeles County, the quality of environmental health in the county, and recommendations for pursuing a healthy lifestyle. The website also publishes regular reports to inform community residents of the steps the agency makes to achieve higher levels of health and wellbeing in Los Angeles County. The website includes several interactive features. For instance, users can file a written report about animal diseases, foodborne illness, or a dead bird (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 2016). The public health department shares complete information on where its centers are located to facilitate access to the most important public health services such as immunization and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Public Health Milestones
From the exploration of the websites, two public health milestones deserve attention. First, it is the introduction of vaccines that ultimately facilitated the eradication of smallpox and other deadly health conditions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011; Pfizer, 2006). Second, these are the dramatic advances in infectious disease control that are mainly attributed to the discovery of penicillin and the introduction of other antibiotic agents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011; Pfizer, 2006). Both milestones are critically important for the past, present, and future of public health for several reasons.
First, vaccinations and antibiotics create a reliable barrier to infections. They minimize the risks of epidemics that can kill millions of people. Even though vaccinations cannot protect the global community from all health risks, they create a sense of security, stability, and progress in public health. Given the current focus on disease prevention and control, vaccines and antibiotics can be rightly considered as one of the most powerful instruments for managing, preserving, and improving public health. Second, with the growing scope of globalization, improved transportation, increased rates of population migration and traveling, individuals expose themselves to well-known (polio) and unknown (SARS and Ebola) threats (Pfizer, 2006). Antibiotics and vaccination can reduce the severity of these risks and make the global community safer, while improving public health and wellbeing. Of course, future researchers will need to develop new and update the existing vaccines to make sure that they retain their preventive potentials. The patterns of antibiotic resistance will also need to be explored to guarantee that the antibiotic agents used in healthcare bring the intended preventive and treatment results.
Other Useful Websites
The web search has also retrieved several additional web sources, which can be helpful in understanding public health and epidemiology. It is the official website of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). It is also the World Health Organization’s website (World Health Organization, n.d.). Both share important and reliable information about epidemiology and public health. The organizations emphasize the need to improve public health and wellbeing globally. They provide useful recommendations to minimize the severity of public health dangers facing the world in the 21st century.
Conclusion
In conclusion, epidemiology and public health are intricately related. The study of disease occurrence, causes, and patterns greatly contributes to the development of effective interventions that aim to improve public health. The Internet contains extensive information related to epidemiology and public health. Credible websites provide valuable recommendations to minimize the scope of the most prevalent threats to health and wellbeing worldwide.
